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ENG 110 Thoune: Evaluate Information Sources

Evaluation

So you've located some possible sources!  Its time to evaluate that information to ensure that it is accurate, reliable and relevant. Learning how to critically evaluate information is especially important when observing Internet sites. Use the following points of evaluation and sites of interest to evaluate your search results.

Main Evaluation Points:

Currency = How recent is the information?

Relevancy = Does the information clearly support your points of argument?

Authority = Who is the author? Can you verify his/her expertise?

Accuracy = Is the information free from errors? Does it "stack up" against other sources?

Purpose =  Bias check. What is the main goal of the information? To inform? To persuade? 

When in doubt, find an alternate source!

Sites of Interest:

CRAAP Test Example 1::California State Chino outlines questions to ask yourself.

CRAAP Test Example 2:: A rundown from Gettysburg College on how to get a quick overview on whether or not a source is useful.

Evaluating Information Sources::Murphy Library take on evaluating information sources.

Evaluating Web Pages::A look at how UC Berkely demonstrates how to evaluate web pages.
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Additional Resources:
 
  • Evaluating Web Sources
    A video from Plymouth University discussing how to evaluate electronic sources for reliability.
  • Website verification
    An Internet tool from Network Solutions that will tell you who is responsible for publishing the materials on a website. Simply enter in the domain name to the “Search all WHOIS Records” of the site where you got your information and it will tell you who is responsible for it.
  • Evaluating Sources
    The University of Southern Indiana brings us a look at how to gauge the reliability of other sources in addition to the Internet.